CDC: Tracking Transmission of HIV. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their latest report on rates of HIV transmission in the United States. Data for sexual and needle-sharing behaviors were obtained fromNational HIV Behavioral Surveillance, a system of research on behaviors of three populations at increased risk for HIV: 1) gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men; 2) persons who inject drugs; and 3) heterosexuals at increased risk of infection. These data for behavioral factors in 2016 were compared to data for newly diagnosed cases from the National HIV Surveillance System. The analysis found that, of the 38,700 new infections diagnosed in 2016, approximately 80% of new HIV transmissions were from persons who did not know they had HIV infection, or who had received diagnosis but were not receiving care. The report concludes that decreasing the rate of transmission relies on increasing the rate of testing and treating those who are HIV-positive with newer drugs proven to be effective at suppressing the virus. Last year, the CDC identified 220 mostly rural counties experiencing or at-risk of significant increases of infection. See the Approaching Deadlines section below for current funding opportunities related to the effort of reducing HIV transmission.
